The Apple iPhone 16 Series is Coming Soon: Upgrade or Not, You Decide!

The Apple iPhone 16 Series is Coming Soon: Upgrade or Not, You Decide!Apple's annual fall product launch event is just around the corner. At 1:00 AM Beijing time on September 10th, Apple will officially unveil its flagship product of the year: the iPhone 16 series

The Apple iPhone 16 Series is Coming Soon: Upgrade or Not, You Decide!

Apple's annual fall product launch event is just around the corner. At 1:00 AM Beijing time on September 10th, Apple will officially unveil its flagship product of the year: the iPhone 16 series. Rumors about this phone have been circulating ever since the iPhone 15 series was released. Now, we've compiled all the leaked information about the iPhone 16 series, taking you on a deep dive to see if this year's upgrades are worth your hard-earned cash!

Standard Edition: Design Revolution, Steady Performance Enhancements

This year's standard edition will once again include two models: the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. There's talk that the next generation will replace the Plus edition with Air, so this year might be the last for the Plus phone. It seems like a good strategy to play on people's nostalgia.

The biggest change in the standard edition is the design. The last time the iPhone had a significant design overhaul was with the iPhone 13, when the vertical camera layout was changed to diagonal. After three years, the diagonal layout is back in a vertical configuration, but with a slight difference. The vertical dual-camera layout of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus is not the same as the iPhone 12 design; it's more akin to the style of the earlier iPhone X, just with a larger camera module. This design is rumored to be for better spatial video recording, suggesting that Apple has high expectations for its VisionPro product.

There are also two changes to the buttons. First, the side mute button has been replaced with the Action button seen in the iPhone 15 Pro series. Second, a new "integrated button" called the CaptureButton has been added below the power button. As the name suggests, this button will likely act as a camera shutter. However, following Apple's usual design approach, this button could later offer customizable functionalities similar to the Action button. Whether the CaptureButton is touch-sensitive or a physical button is still uncertain. If it's touch-sensitive, the high error rate might be a problem considering how people hold their phones with one hand. This button has been subject to considerable controversy, and there's no concrete explanation yet.

In terms of colors, the standard edition will likely offer a wide range of choices, including a dark shade, potentially a deep green version of the light green color. The classic white will also be back, exciting white phone enthusiasts.

Regarding specifications, the standard edition will feature the A18 Bionic chip and an upgrade to 8GB of RAM. This is clearly intended to better support future Apple Intelligence functions, as performance and memory are the two major requirements for AI currently. The battery capacity of the iPhone 16 has been upgraded from 3349mAh in the previous generation to 3561mAh, a slight improvement. However, the iPhone 16 Plus's battery capacity has actually decreased from 4383mAh to 4006mAh, presumably to maintain sales of the iPhone 16. It's impressive how they manage to make these adjustments.

Pro Edition: Larger Body Size, Finally Upgraded to 40W Charging

The two Pro models, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, offer even greater upgrades compared to the standard edition, both in design and internal specifications.

The biggest design change in the Pro edition is the larger body size, which will be discussed further in the screen section. It also adds the integrated CaptureButton, which will undoubtedly be more useful in the Pro series, given its focus on video and photography. Additionally, there are rumors that the Pro edition will introduce a rose titanium color, which can be considered a new "rose gold." The last time "rose gold" was used was eight years ago with the iPhone 7, which was a popular color choice then. Now, the iPhone 16 Pro is bringing rose gold back, proving the truth of the phrase "fashion is a cycle." I believe that if this color is truly released, it will likely spark a new color trend.

Regarding the screens, both models will have a brightness of 1200 nits. The iPhone 16 Pro screen size has been upgraded from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max screen size has been upgraded from 6.7 inches to 6.9 inches. The screen bezels have also been optimized, with just 1.2mm for the iPhone 16 Pro and 1.15mm for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. This is an area where Apple has always done well. However, with the larger body size, it remains to be seen if the weight will also increase, as the feel in hand is important. Weight-sensitive users should pay attention to this.

In terms of imaging, both models have the same camera configuration. They both feature an IMX903 (1/1.14 inch) main camera, and the ultra-wide-angle lens has been upgraded to 48MP. More importantly, the 3X telephoto lens on the iPhone 16 Pro has been upgraded to 5X, truly putting it on the same starting line as the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Additionally, there are rumors that the lens will have an anti-reflective coating, implying the end of the "ancestral ghosting" issue. It's definitely something to look forward to!

For core specifications, both models are equipped with the A18 Pro chip and, surprisingly, have graphene cooling, indicating that they're truly aiming to remove the "fire dragon" label. Regarding the battery, the iPhone 16 Pro has been upgraded from 3274mAh to 3577mAh, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max has been upgraded from 4422mAh to 4674mAh, both with minor improvements. Another noteworthy point is that the iPhone 16 Pro Max battery module will be fully encapsulated with a stainless steel cover and secured using a new adhesive method. The official explanation is that this makes the phone easier to repair, but it remains to be seen if this claim is true.

As for charging, yes, you heard that right, the charging has finally been upgraded. Both models will have a wired charging power of 40W, finally catching up with the fast charging era.

Final Thoughts: To Buy or Not to Buy?

Overall, the upgrades in the iPhone 16 series can only be considered as regular product iterations; they don't have any groundbreaking changes like the iPhone 15 series, which had C ports across the board or the standard dynamic island across all models. Therefore, the standard edition focuses more on adjusting the design, while the Pro edition enhances its performance to better support Apple Intelligence functions.

This function will likely be a key focus for the iPhone 16 series, becoming a major selling point.

Finally, going back to the question of whether to buy or not, I think it depends on your individual needs. It's mainly about the three aspects: dynamic island, C port, and Apple Intelligence. Consider whether you need any of these features or all of them. This is relevant for users of the iPhone 15 standard edition and earlier models. As for iPhone 15 Pro series users, you'll need to consider the minor upgrades such as the 5X focal length, 48MP ultra-wide angle, anti-reflective coating, and A18 Pro chip. Of course, if you're an Android user looking to switch to Apple, this is definitely the best option right now.

For more detailed information about the Apple iPhone 16 series, stay tuned for our upcoming content.